Thrashers go for fifth straight win against B's

Season Series: This is the first of four meetings between the teams. The Bruins went 4-0 against the Thrashers in 2009-10 and outscored them 18-7.

Big Story: Atlanta opened its six-game homestand with a 2-1 loss to Florida on Nov. 17, but has since reeled off four straight victories while outscoring its opponents 15-2. The Thrashers have not won five in a row since a six-game run March 6-16, 2009.

"We have to keep rolling," said goalie Ondrej Pavelec, who made 25 saves in Friday's 3-0 win over Montreal.

Team Scope:

Bruins: Boston has hit a bump in the road, as Friday's 3-0 loss to Carolina was the club's third in four games. The Bruins -- who allowed three power-play goals to the Hurricanes -- have allowed the first goal in 10 of their last 12 contests.

"Our execution got poor and our special teams were unacceptable," Boston coach Claude Julien said. "You give them three goals on three attempts, it's not acceptable."

Thrashers: The winning streak reached four games Friday night when Atlanta pulled out an impressive 3-0 victory against the Canadiens at Philips Arena. The Thrashers outshot the Habs 23-4 in the second, setting a new franchise record for the biggest shot differential in a period.

"We are playing a full 60 minutes," said center Rich Peverley, who scored the game's opening goal and added another one later against Montreal. "In the past we have had some lulls in periods and I think we have done a good job of maintaining our consistency and our focus."

Who's Hot: Bruins goalie Tim Thomas is 11-2-1 with a 1.56 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage. … Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien have combined for 11 points during Atlanta's winning streak. Pavelec has stopped 114 of 116 shots in the four victories.

Injury Report: Bruins center Marc Savard (post-concussion syndrome) practiced with the team Saturday and says he's "getting closer." However, he's still probably 1-2 weeks away. The Bruins will also be without Marco Sturm, who hopes to return next month after undergoing knee surgery. … Thrashers center Patrice Cormier is on injured reserve due to a broken right foot.

Stat Pack: Eight of Boston's 12 victories have come on the road. … Atlanta has outshot its opponent in eight of its last nine games.

Puck Drop: "We got off to a good start. We had chances. You have to give (Cam) Ward credit. He stopped our chances. We've got to find a way to score the first goal." -- Bruins forward Milan Lucic after Friday's 3-0 loss to Carolina